


Individuals

by CrypticGabriel



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Anxiety, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Self-cest, Shirocest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-12-24 09:30:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12009912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrypticGabriel/pseuds/CrypticGabriel
Summary: Kuro and Kuron were both lost. They were just clones. Their only purpose in life was to manipulate with the Paladins and mess with Shiro’s head. But when their jobs were fulfilled, or incomplete in one case, they were dumped to the wayside. Rejected. Now was their chance to figure out where they belonged in the grand scheme of things.





	Individuals

**Author's Note:**

> Don't look at me.  
> I LOVE THIS SHIP, OKAY???
> 
> I was heavily inspired by [Singmi's](https://twitter.com/nyangtron_SMG) Kuroron Art on Twitter. Their work is absolutely wonderful. And here's their [tumblr](http://skdaks2.tumblr.com)

_Artificial._

_No real purpose._

_No need_ to think too deeply about where someone belonged.

_“Your work here is finished,”_ was Haggar’s final demand to Kuro. He’d done his job when he was conjured up, after keeping the Champion in a chokehold and messing with his mind. That was all he was brought to this universe for.

The bluntness of his situation was brutal. What was he supposed to do now? He’d been asking himself this question for months, just walking through the halls in his raggedy prison clothes while creatures around him had barely given him a moment’s glance.

Then he saw _him._

Months later, the Galra team was working on another project to get at the Paladins. They were making more clones, this time constructed scientifically. It was a contrast, when thinking of how he was suddenly born through incantations brought out by intense ferocity and vengeance. They went through many tests to make sure the clone they would be using for this project was absolute perfection.

This one, however, did not meet the quota they were setting.

“It’s too anxious,” they’d said. “There’s an imbalance of negative emotions. It would be a disservice.”

They were at a point in Operation: Kuron where they could not afford a defective subject. They were going to dump him onto that ice planet and leave him there to die, with no food, water, or resources. If he were to survive, then he’d have a rough time trying to find Voltron to continue the operation.

Kuro was not going to let this clone be played with and then thrown in the garbage, much like he was. Already, from the looks of things, the man was a nervous wreck, even while they were training him to be a fighter. He wasn’t as good as the Champion. Great with a blaster, but he was no Champion. And his hair had grown out during all the training they were doing. No one even bothered to teach him how to even _look_ like the Champion! He couldn’t let them go into the next phase! They would just have to birth another clone.

He didn’t care how long the process would take.

\--

_Kuron was tied up in a_ back room while the Galra were performing more tests and experiments. Kuro didn’t really care for what they were doing, and he didn’t care for what would become of him if he was caught. All he really was worried about was getting Kuron out of this situation.

It turned out that as soon as he started thinking more and more about another soul as lost and artificial as he was, Kuro had found something to live for.

He remained quiet while creeping towards the dark corner of the room. Kuron was still unconscious, but he knew he needed to work quickly. They might be ready to work on him again soon. They could torment and wreck someone else. He wasn’t going to let them touch this poor soul.

Watching him twitch and emit pained whimpers in his sleep made him flinch his hand back, just when he was about to wake him up. He was afraid of scaring him further. This poor guy. He was probably going through memory overload, with all the instances in the Champion’s life that they had to inject into him. Kuro didn’t have this problem. He was brought into this universe out of thin air, already knowing what he needed to as soon as he was birthed. But for _Kuron_ , everything was a physically taxing, excruciating process. He pitied him.

No. He had to get him out of here.

With his bionic arm, he lightly stroked against his scruffy chin. The response was immediate. He watched Kuron’s eyes shoot wide open, his breath hitching as he got ready to scream. Kuro hurried to cover his mouth, looking into his watery eyes.

“Shhh,” he breathed out while watching his arms constrict in their bonds. “I’m getting you out of here. But you gotta be quiet. Can you do that for me?”

He gave Kuro a shaky nod, his breathing still rushed and panicked. His shaggy hair was getting in his face, but that wasn’t the main thing on his mind right now. Kuro waited until he was calm before removing his hand and untying the bonds.

“W-why are you taking me away?” he then stammers, his voice as hushed as he possibly could make it.

“I’m saving you.” He released one of his wrists. “If they continue with this experiment on you, you will die. Either from the planet they’re making you go to or from the Paladins finding out about you, you will be killed.”

He remained stiff, even after his hands were released. Kuro helped him keep his feet planted firmly on the ground while he waited for the right moment to get away. He kept a finger pressed to Kuron’s lips while waiting, maintaining the silence and listening carefully. He held the clone’s hand tightly and stayed light on his feet, stealthily remaining in the shadows. Kuron couldn’t help but continue looking onward with curious eyes, and they were widening at the cruelty inflicted in their experiments. None of which Kuro had bothered to look at.

“Y-you’re—”

“Shh!” he hissed again as they were out of range, for now. “If you keep quiet, you won’t get caught.”

He nodded nervously while they were moving.

“I have an escape pod that will take us back to the mother ship. Just a few more steps,” he insisted while they were going through the halls.

“B-but what if we don’t—”

Suddenly, Kuro heard gunfire.

Kuron’s startled yelp was what kicked him into high gear. With all his strength, Kuro pulled him forward so that he was protecting him using his back, and with a light push he urged him to keep running.

“Go!” he yelled as they were being shot at. “Down that hallway, it’s right there!”

He gasped as he briefly lost his footing, but Kuro was right there to keep him propped up. One of the lasers from a blaster nearly grazed his shoulder, but he tried his best not to let that faze him as he helped Kuron with strafing left to right.

“There! In there!” Kuro gasped as he quickly gestured to the pod.

Kuron hurried and jumped right in, with Kuro right behind him. He made sure to keep the doors shut once he was settled, trying to get this pod up and running. He could hear the lasers ricocheting off the wall outside the pod, but he kept collected while Kuron meanwhile was more or less panicking.

Finally, when the engine ignited, he set the course for the mother ship as they were blasted off into deep space. It won’t be long before fighter ships try to catch up to them, but he was hoping that their head start would buy them some time. He tried recovering from the exertion and looked to his companion.

He had these big, watery eyes, staring up at Kuro with fear and anxiety laced into his pained whimpers. He kept back, and Kuro was realizing that this poor man barely had a taste of life, much like he hadn’t. His sole purpose was to be a plaything. Just like his was. But his hopes were to eventually remedy that. And as soon as he could figure out how to do it, he was going to teach Kuron himself.

\--

_Not much happened in his wing_ of the ship. He was mostly alone, with maybe some squadrons sharing rooms further down the hall. For now, the two of them were safe. But Kuro was thinking further ahead to find a plan as to how they were going to escape and live normal lives as free men.

Kuron’s fear still hadn’t let up, and Kuro didn’t think that it ever will. How was one person supposed to register _years_ of information within a miniscule life span of several months? Kuron must have been scared out of his mind, thinking about all the things that the Champion had endured.

It was a chore, trying to hide him from the rest of the ship. He constantly wanted to try and get out, maybe see some sights and take a mini tour throughout the different halls and corridors. Kuro had to keep him barred away, despite even his own protests that he should be able to feel free while they couldn’t be any further from it. It was the least that he could do for this guy that never had the chance to live.

“Kuro…” He’d mumbled out his name while he was sitting on the spare cot. He looked troubled, still highly tense. “What are we supposed to do now?”

“I’m still trying to figure that part out, Kuron,” he sighed, sitting back. “Haggar pays no mind to me now. Whatever she had planned for me is already done. And while you’ve been hiding, they made a whole other clone for Operation: Kuron. So, you’re off the hook.”

“But doesn’t that mean the Champion is still in danger?” he asked slowly.

A pause. “Yes. But that’s not our fight. At least, not right now.”

“Then why are we _here?_ ” He was practically begging for an answer from Kuro, not liking what he’d already gotten. “What are we doing here?”

He didn’t know what to tell him. He was concerned for Kuron’s safety in the future, as much as he was worried about finding his own purpose. He wasn’t going to let this guy be all alone, not by a long shot. All of these questions they were both asking themselves were going to be answered one day. They just had to keep trying to look for it.

Kuro rested his hand on the man’s shoulder and gave him a playful smirk. “When I figure that out, I’ll let you know.”

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](http://tiff-the-little-wanderer.tumblr.com)   
>  [writing blog](http://wanderingtiff.tumblr.com)   
>  [twitter](http://twitter.com/wandering_tiff)


End file.
